


I'll be here to hold you, I've got you

by SetMyDreamsOnFire



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Don't Judge Me, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, You Have Been Warned, barchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24310627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SetMyDreamsOnFire/pseuds/SetMyDreamsOnFire
Summary: And of course she loved him. She couldn't remember when it started again, but she loved him. More than a girl with a boyfriend should.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	I'll be here to hold you, I've got you

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I wrote this instead of sleeping, that explains a lot.
> 
> Also the last time I did this was like, 10 years ago, I'm a bit rusty. Fair warning, might be ooc, I haven't watch Riverdale since mid season 2? So I kinda know what happened but not really?
> 
> Hope you like it anyway?

When she texted him, his reply came almost instantly. 'On my way' it read.

That was 20 minutes ago, and she was getting more anxious by the minute. Never in a million years she thought she'd be in the position she's in. But here she was, pacing down her house, the tension never leaving her. She stopped when she heard her front door open.

'Betty ?'

'In my room !' she yelled.

She heard him going up the stairs, probably taking them two or three at a time. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down but as soon as she saw his face, the reality of the situation came crashing down on her.

'Hey.. Are you okay ?' he asked concerned. 'What's going on ? Are you hurt ?' he added, taking a few steps towards her.

She slightly moved her head side to side, telling him that no she wasn't ok, when the tears she tried to keep at bay started falling from her eyes. She put her hand over her mouth, hoping it would suppress her sob.

He saw in her eyes that it was serious and he felt the panic spread to his entire body.

'What took you so long?' she asked him.

'I wasn't home, I came as fast as I could. I'm sorry.' he answered. What he didn't tell her was that when he received the message 'I need you. Please.', he was in the midst of breaking up with his -now ex- girlfriend.

'Are you serious right now ? Do you even care about what I'm saying ?' she huffed while he looked at his phone.

He winced at her tone and replied 'I'm sorry Ronnie. I really am.'

'Yeah well, it doesn't help, does it.' she snapped

'I..'

She didn't let him speak 'Don't. Leave. I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear you. Go. I can't even look at you..'

'Ronnie.' he breathed.

'I want you to leave.'

She wanted him gone as fast as possible, because she was on the verge of crying, and there was no way she would cry in front of him. She needed the last of her dignity intact.

Archie nodded. He deserved the yells, probably a lot worst than that. He knew that. He knew it was his fault and that nothing he could say would ease her pain. But the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt her, and he failed that. He stood up from her bed and went to leave but before he could open the door, he heard her ask 'Was I a joke to you ?'.

He stopped, shook his head and without looking at her said 'No. I loved you. I really did. I never lied about that.'

'But it's always going to be her, isn't it.' she whispered with a nod. 'It's always going to be Betty.'

He looked at her for what felt like the last time and smiled sadly before closing the door.

His heart sank. Something was wrong and seeing her like this physically hurt him. He lifted his arms to pull her in a hug but she shook her head again, puting her hand up, telling him to wait. She breathed in, then out, slowly, calming down enough to let out a small 'I'm late.'

'..What ?'

She laughed. There was nothing funny about this but she couldn't help it. This sounded like a big fuck you from her karma, if you asked her.

'I'm late. Like the 'I think I'm pregnant' late.'

'Okay. Wow.' He said sitting down on her bed. He pulled on his hair, something he did since they were little when he was trying to comprehend something but couldn't quite do so. 'Did you take a test ?' he asked after a few seconds, looking at her.

'Yeah. I texted you right after.' She responded. 'It's in the bathroom. I didn't look at it. I can't.' she said, sitting down beside him. 'Not alone.' she added in a whisper.

'You know I'm going to be here for you, right ?' he told her while taking her hand in his.

'Aren't you going to ask me if I'm sure it could be yours ?' she muttered.

'Why?' he replied brows furrowed. 'I know what we did, I was there remember ?' he added lightly. The joke fell flat. She was scared and stressed, he could tell. So was he, but panicking her wouldn't help in any way. 

'They're going to hate us.' she cried. 'I can't have them hate us, Arch. I can't bear it.'

'There's nothing we can do about that right now.' he said.

His thumb traced her palm slowly, and she felt a little bit better, knowing he was there with her. She expected the worst, preferring to not get her hopes up. She felt better doing things this way. If she didn't hope, there was no disappointments. She always was this way, thanks to her upbringing, but it became worst after her dad. Then Polly, and her mom.

'If they do, then we'll accept it, and live with what we did. But Betty, I don't regret anything. Sure, if I could, I would choose not to hurt our bestfriends.' he said. 'But I don't regret kissing you or the night we had. And I sure as hell don't regret loving you. I need you to know that.'

She gasped softly. It wasn't the first he said it to her, but it was the first time since what happened after that party all those years ago. She thought for a long time that he didn't. Not anymore. But lately she knew. Somewhere between the lines, she could tell but was too scared of what it would do to her. Scared her walls would come crumbling down on all the efforts she made to move on. To try to forget him.

And of course she loved him. She couldn't remember when it started again, but she loved him. More than a girl with a boyfriend should.

'I'm scared.' she admitted.

'Me too. But whatever it says, we'll face it together, okay?' he told her. The truth of his statement must have freed the last of her worries because her body finaly relaxed against him. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a short time, just enough seconds to give her the strength she needed.

'Okay.' she nodded. 'Okay let's go see then.'

He smiled and stroked her cheek with his knuckles.

'It's going to be hard, but we'll be alright. Whatever happens, you'll always have me. I promise.'

And it was. The months that followed this conversation were practically hell. They had to deal with the consequences of their actions, and they did with the help of one another. Some days they did it better, some they did not. But amidst everything that went through, he never broke his words. Even when they screamed at each other for something stupid, or when she tried to push him away because she was scared, he stayed by her side.

Little Freddy came into the world months later. And when she looked at her redhead son in the arms of his father, exhausted but happy, she couldn't remember when it started again.

But maybe, maybe it never stopped.


End file.
